A Simple Punishment
by quickquotesquills
Summary: When Kurt Hummel gets picked for the Hunger Games, he expects it to be a quick death with virtually no contest. But he certainly didn't expect Blaine Anderson to come into the picture. Glee characters in the Hunger Games 'verse. Fusion fic, not crossover.
1. The Reaping

**A Simple Punishment**

**Title: **A Simple Punishment

**Author:** quickquotesquills

**Rating: **T (I'm going to try and keep the gore out of this...I can't stand blood.)

**Pairing:** Starts out with friendship!Kurt/Blaine. Will move onto romantic!Kurt/Blaine eventually.

**Summary:** When Kurt Hummel, a boy from District 12, gets picked for the Hunger Games, he expects it to be a quick death with virtually no contest. What he doesn't expect is to be picked as the girl tribute. And he certainly didn't expect Blaine Anderson to come in to the picture.

**Author's Note:** So. I was about to go to sleep last night when this idea popped into my head. Bits and pieces, really. And I decided to write it! It would definitely be better if you have read the Hunger Games...if not, you'll be _really_ confused. It's some of the Glee characters in the Hunger Games 'verse, but it's _not_ going to just follow the events of the first book. Also, we're going to pretend for the purposes of this story that the whole Katniss/Peeta-rebellion-Mockingjay-Quarter Quell thing never happened.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

District 12. Bleak. Tired. Hopeless.

It's also home.

It's reaping day, which means I didn't get any sleep whatsoever last night. After six years of this, you'd think it would get easier. But it never does. Wondering if you'll come home that night. Worrying about your friends. Your family. I would actually care a lot less if it wasn't for Dad. He's never been the same since my mother died. People say it was a freak accident at the Hob, but I don't think they believe it for a second. I know it was one of the Peacekeepers. Needless to say, we don't have riots anymore.

Anyways, moping isn't going to get anything accomplished. So I get out of bed. Dad's snoring in the other room. I'm glad. He's always worrying so much about me, it'll be good for him to have some rest. I tiptoe out of the house. It's still early morning, which means I'll have a long time until the reaping. Might as well try to get my mind off things.

Some people like to sneak out of District 12 into the woods. Me...I'd rather not. Too much dirt. And bugs. And did I mention dirt? Santana, however, has no problem with it. She's even dragged me across a couple of times. But if she got mud on my jacket...someone would pay.

I'm almost at the end of the Meadow when I hear a familiar voice. "Hey, Fancy!" Well. Speak of the devil.

Santana Lopez is striding across the Meadow very confidently, waving at me. And...here's the thing about Santana. She puts up a front of being this amazing, self-confident girl from the Seam. But I know for a fact that she's really scared on the inside. She's got two little brothers and a grandmother who can't really help with anything, and it's up to her to go out into the forest and hunt. So I put up with her. Well, that's a lie. I really do like her. She's probably my only friend...no one else from the Seam really ever thinks about talking to me. I'm an outcast.

I cross my arms and put on my best smirk. "Well, if it isn't Santana Lopez. What brings you out here to the wide open space of nothingness that is the Meadow?" It's not the best I could come up with, but I'm tired and anxious. My mind isn't really at its full capacity right now.

She returns the smirk. "Nothing much. What about you, Hummel? Excited for the reaping?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be excited to have my name thrown into a contest where I could die?" I ask.

"No idea. I did bring breakfast, though, in case you're just a tiny bit worried. Rory milked the goat." she says with a hint of a bitchface. I swear, she is the only one who can pull one of those off better than I can.

"What are we waiting for, then? Let's feast. Happy Hunger Games." I say. She's got a basket with her, and we sit down close to one another. We eat in silence. She's got some bread and a bit of roast wild turkey (probably leftover from last night). We talk about things we could never talk about in public. The Capitol, our parents who were lost to the Peacekeepers, other districts, and the fact that I like boys and she likes girls. I'm just about finished when I hear a small sob coming from Santana's direction.

"San? Are you okay?" I look over at her to see that she's crying. This is weird. _Really weird._ I scoot over to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders. Santana Lopez never lets her fear show, so this can't be good.

"I just...Kurt, I'm scared." She hardly ever calls me by my first name. Again, not a good sign. "Some of the kids aren't taking out any tesserae, but I have almost 40. And you-you've only got around 10. What if I get picked?"

"You won't, Santana. Because if you do, I will personally cut someone." I say. I'm scared too, but...one crying teenager is enough, thank you.

I head home to get ready for the reaping soon after that. It's my second last one, and I guess I wanted to look good. I put on a dress shirt and these really nice black pants, with a bow-tie thrown in for good measure. It's not much, but it's just about as good as it gets in District 12.

Walking towards the section for 17-year-olds is a challenge. District 12 isn't too big, but there's always a crowd on reaping days. I wave to Santana as she passes by. Tina, a girl who I've never really talked to but know from school, has a little girl no older than 4 clutching her leg, refusing to let go. I try to ignore all of this. You see it every year, but there's nothing you can do about it.

"Ahem? Ahem!" chimes a voice. It's April Rhodes, the assistant from the Capitol. She comes every year to manage the reaping and make 12 more "suitable" for the Capitol. Maybe it's just me, but she seems a little tipsy. I do have very limited experience with alcohol, though.

"L-ladies and gentlemen!" she squeals in that horrible high-pitched Capitol accent. Maybe I shouldn't be one to talk about having a high-pitched voice, but my voice is perfectly natural. April Rhodes was just...irritating. "It is time for the-the reaping!" She swayed slightly. I roll my eyes.

"First, we have the boys." She reaches into a clear blue plastic ball and pulls out a sheet of paper. _Pleasenotme pleasenotme pleasenotme, _I think. She calls out the name. Thankfully, it's not me. "Finn Hudson. Come on up!" she exclaims. As if it's something to be celebrated. I don't know Finn personally, but he's kinda cute. I don't have much time for boys though, and it's not as if the Peacekeepers would ever tolerate a boy dating another boy. So I keep my face blank as Finn lumbers up onto the stage, shoving his hands in his pockets. He's got this horrible, hopeless look on his face. I don't blame him. There is scattered applause in the crowds, mostly for the cameras.

"Volunteers? No? Well then, we'll just move on to the girls!" She seems to have gained some of her coherency back. It doesn't seem like she's much better though, as April Rhodes ends up dizzyingly stumbling over to the other end of the stage that has the large plastic pink ball. As she once again reaches her hand in, I find myself desperately hoping that it's not Santana's name picked. If not for her, then for me. I don't know what I'd do without her, but don't tell her I ever said that.

April Rhodes pulls out a small slip of paper from the ball.

_Please not Santana._

She reads out the name. And it's not Santana.

"Kurt Hummel!"

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><p><strong>AN: **So, what did you think? This chapter isn't beta-ed because I wanted it out quickly, but the next one will be beta-ed. Also, keep in mind that the opinions of the Peacekeepers and the Capitol are not mine, and I would never consider Kurt a girl.

Reviews are love, and tell me if I should keep going. I mean, I will either way because I can't get this out of my head, but...yeah. The next chapters will probably be longer, too.


	2. Bitter Goodbyes

**A/N: **Thank you guys so much for all of the kind reviews! I know the last chapter was kind of rushed...I was trying to get it out quickly because of some personal problems at home. Sorry it took so long for this one again, hopefully it's better!

And because I forgot this last time, I do not own Glee, Hunger Games, or anything recognizable. I also don't own Darren Criss. Yet.

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><p><strong>A Simple Punishment<strong>

**Chapter 2**

I'm frozen. This can't be real. It's a joke. I'm not a girl. Not in the slightest. I must be dreaming. Or maybe, some Neanderthal has decided to pull one over on me. I'm just waiting for someone to jump out from behind the lines and scream, "JUST KIDDING!"

But then I hear April say "Kurt Hummel?" again, someone pushes me forward and suddenly my legs are moving of their own accord. All the way onto the stage. Even though I can barely register anything, I hear sniggers in the crowd, and a voice saying "He's pretty much a girl, it's not surprising." I'm pretty sure a Peacekeeper spits at my feet. Normally I would shoot a witty retort back at them, but I can't right now. I hear a sharp intake of breath. Santana. She's shocked. Almost on the verge of tears. Maybe it's strange that I can't tell it's her just from a breath, but I guess that's just how well we know each other.

April speaks again. "Well, this is certainly...unusual. But Mr. Hummel's name came out of the ball, and there's nothing we can do about that, is there? Unless we have a volunteer..."

Santana moves forward an inch. Before she can say a word, though, I violently shake my head. There is _no way_ I am letting her take my place. She's already got three people to look after. She doesn't try to volunteer again, but that doesn't stop her from shouting out.

"You can't do this!" she yells. I cringe inwardly. It's really a great thing to do, but it's not smart. She's not going to get away from this unscathed. Before I can make a move, she's up standing on the stage with me. She points a finger at April. "You know perfectly well that Hummel here is a **boy.** You can't just treat him like _anything else_ just because he's gay. You're too blinded by your own prejudice and ignorance to see him as a normal person with rights!"

April huffs, taken aback. I don't think she's ever had anyone protest or stand up to her before. "Are you volunteering, then? Because I don't think you're in any position to say anything like that." I make the frantic 'no' motion at Santana again. She understands.

"He won't let me volunteer. Because he's a better person than _all of you._ And I will personally see to it that-" She's cut off. A Peacekeeper drags her off the stage and into the distance. I shriek and try to reach out to her, but I'm blocked by April, who stands in the way.

"Just let him go," a tired and weary voice calls out. I look over to see who it is, and my heart sinks again. It's the mayor, Mr. Figgins. He used to teach at our school until he got promoted. "What difference does it make anyways?"

_It makes a difference because I'm not a girl,_ I want to scream. But of course, I don't. This is all being televised, and I need to start thinking about strategy.

She motions for Finn and I to leave the stage. When I don't move, she takes my arm and forces me off of it. The last thing I see before I leave is the pink ball with the girls' names all scattered on the floor. They all say the same thing. _Kurt Hummel._

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><p>The next half an hour is a blur. I don't talk to Finn or anyone else. The Peacekeepers escort us to the Justice Building, and we're shot up to the top in the old elevator. It's a rickety, creaky thing, and I'm glad to be out of it soon. I've never really liked heights, probably because I would always be shoved out of trees in school. Finn's shoved into a room, and I walk into another one. We get an hour to say goodbye to our loved ones. One hour to forget an entire lifetime.<p>

When I'm in the room, I perch myself on top of a red velvet chair. Normally I would never sit on something this dusty, but I really don't care. I'm expecting my father to come in first. I almost think I hear him outside. But instead, two burly boys walk in. Azimio and Karofsky. I know them. They go to school with me, and I never hear the end of it from them.

"Well, if it isn't girly boy. Or should we just say 'Girly'?" Azimio sneers. I keep my head down, trying to ignore them. There's nothing I can do about it anyways.

"Can you please leave? I'm trying to think about the fact that I've just been sentenced to death." I say bitterly.

"It was only a matter of time. People like you don't deserve to live." Azimio says. He shoves me back off of the chair. As I start to stand up, he nudges Karofsky. "Hey, what is up with you? Laugh. Baby boy Hummel's just fallen out of his highchair."

Karofsky just laughs uncomfortably, refusing to meet my eyes. "Come on, dude. Let's go. Not worth our time." he says. It doesn't really seem sincere, but Azimio goes along with it.

"Fine. I'd say see you later, Hummel, but...I won't." They leave, slamming the door behind them.

Well. That was reassuring. It's nice to know how much people in this district care about me. But then I hear a slow knock at the door, and my father walks in. I immediately run up and hug him. And since there are no cameras, I allow myself to sob into his shoulder.

"Dad..."

"I know, son. I know."

We stay like that for a couple of minutes, just hugging. I don't want to let go, but I know I'll have to. I sit back down on the chair, and Dad sits on one of the many boxes stacked around the room.

"Dad...I don't know what's going to happen. And I don't know if I'm going to come back, but you _have_ to promise me. Promise that no matter what, you'll stay strong. And you _won't give up._" I'm desperate at this point. Whatever happens to me won't matter all that much, but if something ever happened to my dad, I don't know what I'd do. He's always there for me, and he's one of the most accepting people in my life. Even before Santana was there.

"I-I'll try, kid. But you just remember. You are the most important thing in the _world_ to me. And those guys out there, the ones that-they call you a girl? There's something wrong with them." He sighs. "I want you to really try. Because, Kurt, I don't want to lose you."

It may not seem like much, but it's the most I've ever heard him say at once. So I just nod weakly, and he hugs me again. It's a couple of minutes before he's told to leave by the Peacekeeper standing outside the door. With one last, "I love you, son." and a wave, he's gone. I barely have any time to think before Santana is barreling through the door and tackling me in a hug.

"Kurt, I-I'm so sorry," she says, not even bothering to suppress her tears. "This is all my fault. I should have taken you place and-" I pull back from the hug.

"Santana, stop. It's _not your fault-" _I stop when I see her face. One eye is completely swollen, she has a rapidly forming bruise on her left cheek, and there are cuts and scrapes all over her face. "Oh my...what did they do to you?"

She waves it off. "It's not important. I can barely feel it."

"But you-"

"_Stop_, Kurt. It's nothing. We have more important things to talk about, and you can't worry about me. I'll be fine."

I nod weakly. It's funny, I thought I was supposed to be the strong one. You know, going into the Games and everything? But it seems Santana has me beaten on this one.

"Promise me you'll try to win, Hummel. I don't want to see you give up out there. Get food, and then water. Nothing else matters."

I attempt to smile. "I promise. I'll try, but...I'm not making any guarantees here." And with that, I lose it. I'm crying, despite my efforts to look good for the cameras. She hugs me again, and I bury my face into her shoulder. "Santana, what if I can't do it? I don't know if I'll be able to...you know." My voice lowers to a whisper. "Kill someone."

"You have to, Kurt." She grimaces. "It's like hunting. But with people."

Just before the Peacekeepers come to tell us the hour is up, she pulls out of the hug and takes something small out of her robe. It's a gold chain, with a small pendant attached to it.

"It's a canary. I thought you might like to have it...to remind you of home. And me." She fastens the quasi-necklace around my neck. I look down at the charm, and see it's a small bird with music notes coming out of its mouth, encased in a small circle. "Will you wear it in the Games?"

I'm not going to lie, my eyes are watering. "Of course I will. And thank you." I kiss her on the cheek, and she leaves.

It doesn't take long to get from the Justice Building to the train station. They take me in a car, something I've heard about but never seen. The closest I've ever been to one is a wagon. Most of the time we just walk, but I'm not complaining. It gives me an excuse to make and wear fabulous hunting boots.

I see Finn being ushered towards the train. I'm not going to try and make an effort to be friendly...only one of us can make it out anyways. So I wave at him, and he waves back. As we walk towards the train, he lumbers over to me. "So, uh...dude. I just wanted to say that I think it's totally uncool that they put you as a girl. Because you're, uh...a dude. Obviously. And...yeah."

I smile. He's a little bit awkward-well, more than a little. But who am I to talk? Most of the district hates me. And he's pretty cute, after all. No. Wait. Bad Kurt. I shouldn't be thinking like this about someone I'm expected to kill. So that possibility? Out the window.

We step on to the train and-_whoa_. It's incredibly lavish. I almost fail to notice the reporters crowded around the train, televising everything. I guess it's a good thing I noticed now, before I could do anything really embarrassing. But almost as soon as the train doors close, we're off, and the sheer speed of the train almost knocks me over. Not even the car could have prepared me for this. It's faster than anything I've ever been on. Not that I've traveled very far, of course, because no one is allowed to venture out of their own district. But I doubt even a wolverine like the ones in the woods outside 12 can travel this fast.

"Um...Kurt?" Finn's voice rouses me from my thoughts. "We're supposed to go meet our mentor now..."

Oh, right. District 12 has had one victor, and he died a few years ago. They say he went a bit...odd towards the end. So they pick someone to mentor the tributes, but no one really knows who it is. So Finn and I walk towards the doors where she or he's supposedly waiting for us. He opens a door. All I see is a blonde head of hair. And then I hear a voice.

"Why are you so tall? You're practically blocking out the sun, and I'm surprised Apollo hasn't managed to burn off the hair on your already oversized head." Finn looks somewhere between hurt and confused. And then I hear another sentence, presumably directed at me. "And you. You look like one of those little china dolls. If I dropped you, you'd break into a million pieces. You don't even look like you're from 12, Porcelain."

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><p><strong>AN: **And so the plot thickens...

Reviews are love and much appreciated. I'll update as soon as I can. Oh, and does anyone know why indents don't work on Document Manager?


	3. In Which Finn is Insulted Repeatedly

**A/N: **WHOA. Thank you guys so much for all of the story alerts, author alerts and reviews! It really means a lot to me that you guys are enjoying the story so far.

Anywho, the plot starts to thicken in this chapter. It'll pick up way more once we get into the games, but for now take this. I'm sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to get this out, and issues at home have been making it hard for me to write. And because I forgot to do this before, have a disclaimer. Nothing you recognize is mine. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>A Simple Punishment <strong>

**Chapter 3**

I'm used to insults a lot worse than this, so the coach's remarks don't really faze me. What surprises me, though, is that there's something almost...fond in her voice. Like she's trying to show affection.

Finn's completely confused, though. "Franken...teen?"

"Yes, you poor excuse for a Yeti. You're freakishly tall. It makes everyone else in the world look like a dwarf." she says.

To be perfectly honest, I'm trying to stifle a laugh here. It may be mean, but everything she's said so far has been completely accurate.

The coach motions for us to sit down. "Sue Sylvester," she says, leaning back in her chair. "District 1, five-time mentor of champions. I'd ask for your names, but I really don't care and it's taking far too much effort to even pretend right now."

"I'm Finn Hudson..." Finn mutters, obviously not sure of what is happening.

"Finn, she knows that. It's her job." I say, quirking an eyebrow at Coach Sylvester. She leans back further, if possible.

"I like you, kid. You're in my good books. And if you somehow manage to make it out of these godforsaken Games, I'd like to have you on my squad of Chi-Rieu elite victors."

Finn's still quiet. He hasn't said a word, and I feel kind of sorry for him. Coach Sylvester hasn't really made him feel too welcome.

Ignoring this, I chuckle quietly. "I'm flattered, Coach. But I highly doubt that's going to happen. There hasn't been a District 12 victor in _decades._"

"And it's my job to change that." She nods. "Now both of you, go to your rooms and rest up for dinner. Giraffe-boy here is in room 1214, and it looks like you're in room 713, Porcelain. You're going to have to share with some kid named Blair."

I sigh. It's nothing more than I was expecting, but I don't know why it's just me having to share a room. Oh well. It's just one more person I'll have to get used to, and maybe this Blair girl could be an ally. As Finn and I walk out of the room-well, I walk, and he trudges. But he stops me for a second to ask me a question.

"Dude, why do you have to share a room with someone? The gay guys always end up getting all of the girls..." he grumbles.

"Ignoring that last remark, it's for the same reason they picked me as a girl, Finn. You get used to it. And you learn to deal with being different." With that, I turn on my heel and go.

Soon enough, I'm at the door to my room. If this Blair girl really is from District 7, like the door number leads me to believe, she won't be here for at least another day. The train's fast, but not _that_ fast. So I step inside to find an absolutely pristine room, much nicer than anything 12 ever had. A bedroom with two double beds, a private bathroom with hot _and_ cold water, and the best part: a walk-in closet fully stocked. I'm tempted to look around and explore, but I'm so tired that I end up just collapsing on one of the beds.

I wake up to a shrill voice in my ear. April Rhodes is presumably singing, though it sounds more like squawking.

"Up, up, up! It's time for dinner, and you're going to miss the reapings!" she trills.

"And we wouldn't want to miss that, now would we." I grumble, my head still buried in the pillow. My sarcasm is clearly lost on April, though.

"Now you've got it!" She practically drags me out of bed and to the dining table. It's a very long table, with a deep scarlet table cloth. Coach Sylvester is sitting at the head, and Finn is sitting beside her. He awkwardly waves at me, and I smile weakly. There's a television set near the table, and I catch a glimpse of my reflection. My hands fly to my head.

"My hair-"

"Can wait until later. Sit down, Mr. Hummel, it's starting." April snaps.

"Porcelain. Nice to see you've joined us." Sue says. She points a remote at the television and switches it on. I see a small square on the screen, surrounded by woods. "It's District 7," she says, probably sensing my confusion. "Lumber. You've missed all of the other districts, they're going in no particular order this time. Probably starting with the most interesting one." She raises an eyebrow at me. "That's you, kid. In case you couldn't tell. District 12."

That would explain the trees. A name is called from the speakers, but I can't quite make it out. Finn fumbles around with the remote for a couple of seconds before he finally finds the volume button, and increases the volume. It's too late though, I've missed both of the names. I do see a small, curly-haired boy on the stage, though. From what I can see, he's got hazel eyes, he looks around my age and he's kind of cute. No, wait. Bad Kurt...you shouldn't even be thinking those things about Finn, let alone this kid from another district.

Before I can think about the boy any more, 'Brittany Pierce' is called on stage with him, and the program is over. Normally, there's commentary after the program, done by two Capitol commentators. Sue turns off the TV before it starts, though.

"Too depressing." she says when I shoot her a questioning glance. "And it's not going to help either of you anyways. The only thing that will at this point is training. Which starts early tomorrow, and I expect you both up by 5."

"But, Coach-" Finn starts.

"Don't 'but' me. You think this is hard? I'm passing a kidney stone right now from pure shock of how _stupid_ you are. _That's_ hard!" she barks.

I snicker again. She shoots me a look, but soon lets the issue drop. "Go to bed, both of you. It's late. And Hummel, expect a surprise in your room."

It's probably that Blair girl. I'm pretty sure we've passed District 7 by now. But the girl who's name was Brittany...maybe the girl's not from District 7 after all. I could be wrong. It hardly matters, though. So I drop the issue and head back towards the room I had fallen asleep in. The walk back seems a lot shorter than the walk there, probably because I hadn't just woken up. Oh, and I wasn't being dragged by one arm by April.

Sue had practically said my roommate would be there, so I have the decency to knock. Before I do, though, I hear a soft voice coming from the room. I can't quite make out who it belongs to, whether it's a girl or a boy, or even what the words are. All I know for sure is that it's a musical sound. The door swings open, and I see someone standing there. They hold out a hand, as if to shake mine. And before I can do or say anything, the voice is speaking again.

"Hey! You must be Kurt...I'm your new roommate. My name's Blaine. Blaine Anderson."

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><p><strong>AN: **Ohohoho! As I said before, the plot is thickening...Blaine's in the equation now, which complicates things. I'll try and update soon...until then, reviews are love, as are cookies. Feel free to leave me either.

**EDIT: **One more thing I forgot to add. _Chi-Rieu? _If this confuses you...say it out loud a couple of times. Have you done it? Yes? See, now you've got it. I see what I did there.


	4. Nightmares and Daydreams

**A/N: **Aaaah! Sorry for not updating sooner, guys. It's exam time and I really need to focus on work right about now. This chapter actually ended up being really long, so I decided to break it into a few parts so it could be out sooner. As always...I don't own anything you recognize. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>A Simple Punishment<strong>

**Chapter Four**

The first thing I notice about this _Blaine_ is that he's cute. Like, _really_ cute. He's got dark, curly hair and hazel eyes, and I know I'm being really shallow right now, but come on. I'm a teenage boy. Sue me. I know I should probably stop thinking like this about people I'm going to have to fight, but...too bad. My hormones are busy telling my brain to shut up right about now.

I'm practically ogling the guy when his voice cuts in. "Um, Kurt? You are Kurt, right? Please tell me I'm right and this isn't getting really awkward or anything..."

That snaps me out of my reverie. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was just...distracted." He holds out a hand, but I don't take it. It's probably better to ignore the fact that my roommate is an incredibly hot guy who I'm going to be competing against. Definitely better. So instead, I just smile faintly at Blaine and step into the room.

It doesn't look much different from when I came in here before. None of the tributes are allowed to bring their own possessions onto the train, apart from what they're wearing. They've got Capitol clothes for us to wear already. I realize that I should probably change into some of these clothes, but I don't really want to with Blaine standing _right there._ So I just sit down on the bed, crossing my legs. I'm content to just sit in silence, but Blaine's voice rings out again.

"Listen, I know that you probably won't talk to me. I wouldn't either, but...do you mind me asking? You're the one...the kid that was picked as a girl." I nod. "Do you - d'you know why?"

I scoff a little bit. "Isn't it obvious? I'm practically flaming." Blaine looks confused. "The Capitol doesn't think too highly of gay people. Okay?" I have no idea what I'm doing. He probably won't talk to me at all now. And maybe, just maybe he could have been an ally. It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to ignore him. So I tell him this. "You can just not talk to me now. I'm used to it."

Blaine surprises me with what he says next. "You know, I don't care."

"What?"

"I'm gay too. You think I don't know why they put us in a room together? They probably want to quarantine us, for fear of anyone else 'catching the gay'."

_Damn._ It would have been a lot easier to ignore him if he were straight. That way, I would know that I have no chance. But now...this is definitely not a good thing. _And_ I have to share a room with him.

"Well, I guess you have nothing to worry about then. I'll just leave you alone and you can leave me alone." With that, I pull up the covers on my bed and lie down, facing away from Blaine. I've forgotten to put pajamas on, but I don't really care at this point. The last thing I see before I turn over is Blaine's shocked expression, looking like he wants to say something. He doesn't, though, and the only thing I hear out of him is a soft "Goodnight". I don't say it back.

**HI YOU CAN INSERT A LINE BREAK HERE OKAY?**

All of a sudden, I'm standing in a dark room. I don't know what's happening at all. I start to walk around, and suddenly the room is a little bit lighter, though I don't know where the light is coming from. I see rock formations around me, and realize that I'm at the entrance to one of the mines in District 12. I still don't know how this could be happening, so I just stand still for a moment. But it doesn't last for long.

I feel a cold rush of air on the back of my neck. The only thing that could have that effect in here is some kind of movement. And the only thing that can move in a mine is...

I don't get to finish that thought. Because before I know it, the sky is collapsing. Rocks are falling down above me from all directions. But I can't move. I'm suddenly remembering something.

"_Kurt-your mother. She didn't make it back from work today."_

_ "Did she have to go back into the hospital?"_

_ "No...she died, Kurt. There was a cave-in."_

_ The small body of my younger self falls to the floor. I can feel my father's arms wrapped around me, but it doesn't matter, nothing matters because she's gone-_

"Kurt!"

Suddenly, I'm out of the room. Everything has been plunged into pitch darkness again. I'm almost glad, until that _voice_ starts calling me again. It's vaguely familiar, but I can't put a name on it.

"Kurt, come on, wake up." There's a pair of hands shaking my shoulders now, and I realize that I was just asleep. That's strange, because those kind of nightmares haven't happened for two years now. I slowly open my eyes and roll over to find myself face-to-face with a black curly cloud. Or at least I think it's a black curly cloud, until it brushes the hair out its eyes and I see it's Blaine.

"Oh...hi." I manage to croak out.

"Are you okay?" he says as he sits down on the bed. What's surprising is that he seems to genuinely care. He must be a _really_ good liar. I would know; so am I.

"I didn't say you could sit there." I say, hoping that I can drop the issue. It doesn't work, though, and Blaine just presses it further.

"Seriously, Kurt. I mean, you've been talking in your sleep for the past five minutes, and tossing and turning for a long time before that. What's it about?"

Instead of really answering the question, I sit up, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "So you were watching me sleep? That's a little creepy, don't you think?"

He blushes furiously and mumbles something incoherent under his breath. Then he starts to add something I can actually hear. "It wasn't like I could help it...I woke up while you were screaming bloody murder. What happened?" He scoots closer to me when I don't answer. "Look, Kurt. I know you don't trust me. Frankly, I don't blame you. But something's going on, and I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me."

"Fine." Normally I would never give in this easily, but there's something about Blaine's tone of voice that makes me want to tell him. "I had a nightmare."

Blaine snickers. "That much was obvious."

A smile creeps on to my face. "Would you shut up? Here I am, trying to pour out my heart to you, and you're making fun of me!" I smack him with a pillow.

"Okay, okay!" he laughs, rubbing his cheek where the pillow hit him. "I'll stop. Carry on."

I do. "It's the same one I've been having for years. Ever since my mom-" I take a shuddering breath here. "She died in a mining accident. And she wasn't even a miner, she was a nurse." At this, I bury my face in my hands. "It's really stupid, I know. It's been nine years. And I usually don't get these anymore, but lately they've been coming back and I just don't know what..." I trail off. A silent sob escapes me. Ugh. I promised myself I wouldn't shed a tear during the Games. But I guess that promise is out.

I feel a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders. "Hey-hey." One of the hands starts making little circle motions on my back. "It's okay. It's all going to be fine."

"But it's not." There it is. The elephant in the room. We both know that we're not going to make it out of here. And by this point, we're both starting to accept it.

"Blaine?" my voice manages to squeak out. "I...I'm going to go back to sleep."

"Okay," he answers. And before I can do anything, he jumps under the covers with me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I hiss. "Get out!"

He flashes a sideways glance at me, and just snuggles further into the mattress. "You're really an idiot if you think I'm going to let you sleep alone after _that_. Now move over, I'm falling off here."

I glare at him, but Blaine's not taking no for an answer. So I move over. Just a bit. I'm trying to make him leave of his own accord, but instead he just moves closer to me and wraps his arms around my waist.

"Seriously..." I mutter under my breath. I'm pretty sure Blaine's ignoring me, though, because he starts to hum quietly.

"Hang on..." I turn to face him. "I know that song. Where did you learn it?"

He looks a bit taken aback. Probably because I'm actually talking to him all of a sudden. "My...aunt used to sing it to me. When I was younger."

"My mother used to sing it to me." This is really strange. The districts never have any kind of communication between them, and all of their customs are different. I have no idea how we both know the song, but we do. Instead of questioning it further, he just starts to hum again. After a while, I join in with the words, singing very softly.

"_Here it's safe,_

_ Here it's warm,_

_ Here the daisies guard you from every harm,_

_ Here your dreams are sweet,_

_ Tomorrow_ _brings them true..."_

I stop at this and turn my head. Blaine's fast asleep, his head almost resting on my shoulder.

_"Here is the place where I love you."_

I don't have any nightmares for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So...what did you think? If you're reading the song bit aloud in your head, set it to 'Kiss The Rain' by Yiruma. It's a wonderful match, and absolutely beautiful. I hope they use it in the movie.

Reviews are the best thing in the world, even if you absolutely hated this. Leave me some?


	5. Parades and Assumptions

**Chapter 5**

**A/N: DDGSDGFDYH. Guys. I am _so, so sorry_ about the wait_. _I tried to keep updating, but life got in the way. First it was exams, then writer's block, then family emergencies...and to top it all off, the Parental Controls on my computer only let me on from 8-9 PM every day. Add that to Document Uploader being irritating, and it was pretty much impossible to get anything onto the Internet. **

**I can't promise anything, but I'm trying my best and I really hope I don't have a delay that long again. Believe me, it was just as bad for me as it was for you.**

**This chapter's my longest yet (3,200 words, _what am I doing?_), too! So without further ado...Chapter 5!**

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><p>Sunlight is already streaming in through the windows, only partially blocked by the light blue curtains in the room. But that's not what wakes me up. I would have been fine to just sleep for a bit longer, but Coach Sylvester has other plans.<p>

"PORCELAIN!" she barks, holding a megaphone. "Get your pear hips out of this bed _right now_ and get yourself to dinner. Everyone's waiting."

I start to respond, but it's early and I'm much too tired to come up with some kind of comeback. And though I hate to admit it, Coach would probably outwit me anyways. So I just extricate myself from the covers slowly and cross the room to where she's standing. "You know, I'm going to need some moisturizer and..." I trail off as she silences me with a look and points to the bed.

Which currently has Blaine in it.

_Crap._

Coach Sue is silent for a few seconds. Then, she just points to the bed, where Blaine's curly mop of hair is just visible. "LuPone. What is _this_?"

"Um...that's my roommate. Th-the one you were talking about..." I stammer.

Sue sighs exasperatedly. "Yes, I know who he is. But I didn't expect you two to be gallivanting around like two hobbits in the shire!"

"I don't think that's the correct usage of the word 'gallivant'-"

She cuts me off. "Irrelevant. Just get downstairs. We'll talk about this in training. You have the parade today and there's no time to frolic down a path of rainbows like you seem to be intent on doing."

She's about to turn away and leave, but I stop her. "Um, Coach? Don't we have to get off the train?"

She smiles at me almost condescendingly. "You got off last night before dinner. You were probably just too out of it to notice. We're in the Justice Building." She's about to leave when she turns back again, this time of her own accord. "Welcome to the Capitol, kiddo."

And then Coach Sylvester leaves, snickering a little bit at my dazed expression.

* * *

><p>The bathrooms in the rooms are...extravagant to say the least. A giant bathtub with the letters 'Jacuzzi' printed on the side has what I can only assume are bottles of scented bubbles stacked on the side and a <em>shower<em>. We've never had showers in District 12; only small bathtubs with lukewarm water, if you were lucky. The only electricity you could always count on was the television, just in case there was a Capitol broadcast on air at any point in time.

The room is incredibly unfamiliar, especially compared to what we had before. Instead of trying to figure out what all of the buttons near the sink do, I just decide to take a shower. This turns out to be quite counterproductive, though, because there are even more buttons in the shower on a large panel. I stand there in the cold for a little while, testing out random buttons until I finally find the one that turns the shower head on. And the water is scalding. I let out a yelp and fiddle around with the knobs on the panel of buttons until the water cools down to a temperature that doesn't threaten to burn my skin off.

As I wash off, I let my mind start to wander. _What happened last night?_ I actually can't remember, but all of a sudden, memories of nightmares, lullabies and Blaine holding me rush back into my mind. As soon as I can put the fragmented memories back together, I know that I can't let it happen again. I've let myself become preoccupied with distractions. But now it's time to focus on what lies ahead. Because it's the parade day, and the first part of the Games are about to begin.

* * *

><p>When I get downstairs, everyone is waiting at the table already. I'm starting to think that Coach Sue is setting up this whole 'lateness' thing to make me feel bad, because I know for a fact that boys like Finn would never be up earlier than me.<p>

"Porcelain. We've been waiting for you."

Yep. She's been setting this up. Just an excuse to use that line.

"Sorry. I thought I was on time and-shit!" I cover my mouth as Coach Sue raises an eyebrow, Finn stifles laughter and April looks indignant. "Um. Sorry. I just...I forgot to comb my hair!"

This only makes Finn laugh harder as I glare at him. Coach Sue just sighs and throws her hands up in the air. "Fine. Just go. As long as you don't put any of that _awful _product in your hair. We don't want you coming down with a case of Bresporkean Scalp Disease."

I start to ask her exactly what this Bermorkean-whatever is, but decide to just leave it. It's probably better off that way. "Thanks." I say, and then dash off.

As I dash back to my room, I realize that Coach Sylvester was right. The layout of the building is exactly the same, but when you look out the windows, the train isn't speeding anymore and we seem to be on high ground. I'm not sure exactly how they managed to get the compartment up this high, especially without waking us up, but it's the Capitol. They found a way, I'm sure.

I open the door to the bathroom and quickly comb my hair. Usually I would take more time and caution, but I'm pretty sure April was mad at me. So I make sure it looks fine and get up to leave. As I'm about to open the door, I hear a voice calling from down the hallway. "PORCELAIN! Hurry up, I think my hair is greying as we speak, which is strange considering it's made of silicon."

Great. This just means I'll have to run back quickly. So I open the door and rush out, only to run into a very surprised Blaine. I try to stop myself, but we both end up tumbling to the floor in a mass of jumbled limbs and before I know it, my face is inches from his. I untangle myself and hastily stand up. I don't offer him a hand, so he just gets up.

"Oh. Hi, Kurt..." his voice trails off as Coach Sylvester walks up to us. She gives Blaine a one-over, as if trying to decide something. Then she speaks.

"Right. Fine China it is then."

Blaine just looks bewildered and scratches his head blearily, confused.

Sue muses to herself. "Porcelain and Fine China. You'll make a fine team, I think." She takes me by the hand and drags me off.

I look back at Blaine and mouth _Save me. _But it's too late; he's turned away and he doesn't see.

* * *

><p>As I sit down at the table, Finn eyes me, a bit suspiciously. "Dude, did you put something in your hair? It's all shiny and stuff..."<p>

I scoff, but not unkindly. "It's called proper grooming, Finn. You might want to try it. Maybe invest in some anti-dandruff shampoo?"

"I agree with Porcelain; Frankenteen here is practically_ snowing_ on the table and it's disgusting." Sue says. She's about to say more when April starts to speak.

"The state of Finn's scalp is not the issue here. As you both know, today is the parade. Which means you'll spend today meeting your stylists and prep teams. You're expected to be down at the chariots at four o'clock sharp. Don't be late!" April says, clicking her heels and leaving. She turns her head for a second to add something, though. "Oh, and good luck. Have a nice breakfast." With that, she's gone. We spend the rest of the meal in silence, and I get to really appreciate the meal in front of me.

There's a steaming mug of something chocolatey in front of me, and a large plate of eggs and toast. On Finn's side of the table is a dish of some kind of meat, most likely bacon. And other delicacies I've never seen before are stacked in various spots on the table. Assembling even a portion of this meal would probably mean a year's salary for anyone in District 12. So as I eat, I try to appreciate every bite. I probably won't ever get a breakfast as nice as this again in a couple of days.

While I try to eat slowly in the hope that I can protect my digestive system, Finn just shovels as much as he can into his mouth. "You look like a human vacuum." I comment dryly. He just looks up at me and shrugs.

"I'm hungry." he says in defense.

"I can see that."

I don't know why we're keeping up this charade. The banter, the friendliness...none of it's going to hold once we're in the arena. It's almost nice, though, so I let it go and finish eating. Once I finish, Finn shoves another plate of food at me. But I push it away. Once we're in the Games, I won't have that much to eat. It's probably better that I don't get used to eating this much.

I stand up and make to leave. Then I remember that I have absolutely no idea where I'm supposed to be going. "So...where did she say the stylists were?"

"Mfings'atosdaffums." Finn tries to say through a mouthful of food.

"What?" I ask.

He swallows and looks to Coach Sylvester nervously. "I think they're across the hall from our rooms."

Coach Sylvester nods, and I head off in that direction.

* * *

><p>I'm sitting on the counter in the stylists' room, just swinging my legs back and forth as I wait for the stylists to come in. I've figured that I shouldn't have to put the bathrobe on, even though I'm just a little bit self-conscious. It's obvious that I haven't ever really had enough to eat, and my bones stick out everywhere. Santana told me I was gorgeous once, but I think she was just being nice. But whoever the stylist is will probably just make me take the bathrobe off anyways.<p>

I hear a knock on the door and awkwardly cover myself up. I wouldn't want to accidentally flash the prep team on our first meeting.

"Coming in!" a voice calls from the other side of the door. And then I see the owner of the voice come through the door.

She's a short girl with dark skin, brown eyes and slightly bushy hair. But all other observations about her fly out of the door when-

"Oh my _god_, I love your outfit."

She gestures to the red-and-black checkered jacket she's wearing with a pair of dark, slim pants and a chunky gold-coloured necklace. "This? It's really nothing." She raises an eyebrow. "But that's one hell of a way to make a first impression, boy." And...then she notices how naked I am. "Now go put some clothes on, I ain't talking to you in the nude."

I blush and quickly put on the bathrobe that is lying on my lap. "Sorry. I thought that you were...nevermind."

She raises an eyebrow and prompts me to go on. "Thought that I was what? Some ancient fart who was going to creep on you and then put you in some hideous coal miner's outfit?"

"Well...yes."

"Boy, you are trippin. They wouldn't let me skip out of school and become a stylist to do _that_."

"So you're..."

"Just about your age," she says. "And by the way, I'm Mercedes. Jones. And I know who you are."

"It's hard not to," I say dryly. "But I'm still a nobody."

Mercedes steps forward, scrutinizing me, then she gets a glint in her eyes that I don't quite trust. "Not for long. When I'm done with you, you will quite literally be a star."

And then she whisks me off to another room to be primped.

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><p>She was right. With smoldering eyes, mostly black clothes that look like they shimmer in the light and almost-copper hair, I look just like a star, even though I'm aching all over from the prep team scouring me off. I'm admiring my outfit in the mirror when Mercedes spins me around.<p>

"Hummel, you're missing the entire point of the outfit." And with that, she pulls a flap on the pants open and presses a small button that I didn't even know was there.

Suddenly, the outfit gets even better and it completely takes my breath away.

"Mercedes. You are a genius." I say, awestruck. "You're completely mad, of course. But you. Are. A. Genius."

She tosses her hair. "I know. Now come on, we've spent 3 hours getting you all done up. You've got to be downstairs for the parade."

I only have time to wonder, "3 hours?" before she's whisking me away _yet again_, and I can't help feeling that this is going to become a thing.

* * *

><p>Finn's already downstairs at the platform when I get there. He's dressed in clothes that are very similar to mine-minus the eyeshadow, I can't help but notice. Probably his choice, not mine. But his stylist-I think she's a girl named Sunshine-catches my eye and smiles at me.<p>

"Dude!" Finn calls. "You look seriously sweet..."

I snort at the implications.

Finn notices and fidgets uncomfortably. "I didn't mean sweet like _sweet_, I meant cool. Even though technically you should be hot 'cause we're being like sparks, but-_no, not that either."_

I cross over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Finn. I get what you mean."

He sighs in relief. "Awesome. I can't really do words, and-"

I stop him. "You're making it worse."

"Okay."

"Have you seen the whole point of the suit yet?"

He looks confused. "Isn't this the point?"

I roll my eyes. "Oh, Finn. hat are we going to do with you?" And despite his protests, I reach over and undo the flap on the side of his pants, pressing the small button concealed there. And just as quickly, I press the button on mine and suddenly, we are _glowing_.

I'm not even kidding. We are emanating light, and the colours are shifting from shades of yellow to shades of orange. To put it simply, we are radiant.

And just like that, Mercedes is zooming over to us.

"Turn those off, you'll run out of power."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we be running on solar power?"

"Not funny," she sighs exasperatedly. But I do see a hint of a smile on her face. "What are we going to do with you?"

"You could actually get them outside!" calls April from where she's standing, trying to chat up some stylist wearing a hideous lion mane-esque headpiece. With a jolt, I realize that the tribute standing next to her is Blaine. He shoots me a small wave, but I can't really see what he's wearing because the monstrosity that is April's sequined pink dress is drowning everything out.

"Fine!" calls Mercedes, and she shoves Finn and I onto the float where we're supposed to be standing. Then, she gently adjusts my costume and stands on her tiptoes to give me a peck on the cheek.

"Keep your head up; be happy. Smile, wave, anything. Just go out there and make them love you." she says. Then she directs her gaze towards Finn. "You too, Sparky."

"W-huh?" Finn protests. "I don't even get that one."

"Well, I sure approve." says Coach Sylvester, coming out of nowhere. "Keep it up, Aretha, and some day you may just become as magnificent as I am. Good job on the outfits, by the way-you managed to make even Lumberjack Boy here look passable."

"Uh...thanks?" Mercedes says doubtfully.

"YOU TWO!" April nearly screams as she strides toward us, wobbling on her 6-inch heels. "You're supposed to get out there _right now_, now go!"

As she switches the float on so it starts to move, Finn and I hastily turn our costumes on. The last thing I see before we are swept into the parade circle is Mercedes and April, looking like they're about to rip each other's heads off.

I just hope they don't.

* * *

><p>Most of the parade is a blur. All I really remember is a lot of flashing lights, Finn almost falling off the chariot and having to pull him up, and smiling so hard that my face hurts now.<p>

But one thing is for sure: we were the most fabulous people there. No one, not even the stylists, could keep their eyes off of us. And most of the tributes spent a fair amount of time staring at us, but it soon turned from awe to disgust and they looked away. Except for Blaine, for some reason. He had his eyes on us the entire time, for some reason, and the expression on his face never wavered from complete...well, I'm not sure what it was. But it looked like utter admiration, so we'll go with that.

It would have been really flattering, but the entire sight was rather ludicrous when you noticed that Blaine was wearing a large, shapeless tree costume, and his district partner, a tall blonde girl with a vacant expression was absentmindedly playing with his curls.

But as Finn and I sit at the table for dinner, watching the highlights of a parade that neither of us really want to relive, _everyone_ is gushing over our amazing outfits. It's clear that Mercedes and Sunshine are the stars of the night.

During one of April's many tirades about how _certain_ stylists just don't appreciate the value of being on time for important events that can make someone's career as a publicist (while no one is really listening), Finn elbows me under the table. The parade show and commentary is still running on the long-forgotten TV. I try to ignore what he's doing, but eventually it gets too annoying to let slide.

"_What_, Finn?" I hiss.

He looks a bit shameful at hearing the harshness in my voice, but continues on quietly, so no one can hear him but me. "Why's that kid-Bland, or something, staring at you?"

I turn my head towards the TV at his words, and sure enough, Blaine is somewhere on the screen, his gaze fixed on our chariot.

"First of all, it's _Blaine_. And second of all, he's not staring at me." I hold up a finger. "He's staring at us, which makes perfect sense, because we look absolutely fabulous. And it's all Mercedes. So ask her." And then I take a minute to think this over. "No. Actually, don't. Just...he's not staring at me."

Finn starts to protest. "But he doesn't look at me-"

"_Finnigan Hudson!"_

"_Fine._" he says. Then, in a much softer tone, he mutters "And my name isn't Finnigan."

But it works, and that's the last word I hear about Blaine and his stupid tree costume for a while.

Even better, he's already asleep when I get into bed. And tonight, I don't have any nightmares. Just visions of little pink purses, fireworks in different colours and-_hey. ..._

_ There's an idea. I should talk to Mercedes about that. Maybe for the interview..._

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><p><strong><strong>UP NEXT...Three days before the Games, and the stakes are high. Training's started, alliances are being made...really, Kurt doesn't have a chance if he doesn't get his act together soon. But getting his act together means getting attached to people, which is a very dangerous thing to do.<strong>**

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><p><strong>AN: So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Utterly horrible?**

**Anywho, I'm dedicating this chapter to my friend Steph (WhoCaresChrisColfer), who's going to make a bit of a cameo-thing-appearance in a later chapter. (NO, SHE'S NOT GOING TO DIE.)**

**The next chapter can either be a three-parter or just one chapter, depending on what you guys want. **

**And on a side note, if you want my Tumblr, I'm happy to give it out to you. I'm just a bit hesitant of putting it on my profile because I don't want my Tumblr to link back to . (I have a couple of IRL friends on Tumblr...and really, one of them shouldn't know about fanfiction that I write. Ever.)**

**Reviews are awesome and they keep me going. Feel free to yell at me for taking so long. :)**

**-quickquotesquills**


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